


A new life

by Trylan



Category: Bugsnax (Video Game)
Genre: After the good ending, But i still wanted to give it a shot, Characters' personal issues, F/F, F/M, Gen, Go easy on me english is not my first language, Hurt/confort, M/M, Mentions of drugs, More to the concept of them than actual drugs, Post-Canon, Responsible consuption of alcohol, Spoilers for the videogame, This work may not be so original compared to other fanfics
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-29
Updated: 2021-02-03
Packaged: 2021-03-15 05:28:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,534
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29059011
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Trylan/pseuds/Trylan
Summary: A new life is starting for all the grumpuses who were on Snacktooth Island.For some turning to a new page of the book of life is easier than others.
Relationships: Eggabell Batternugget/Elizabert Megafig, Filbo Fiddlepie/The Journalist, Gramble Gigglefunny/Wiggle Wigglebottom, Snorpy Fizzlebean/Chandlo Funkbun, Triffany Lottablog/Wambus Troubleham
Comments: 19
Kudos: 67





	1. Leaving the island behind

**Author's Note:**

> First fanfic I've ever writtend and published. Every criticism is welcomed, just be polite in the comments, please. If I made grammatical errors feel free to make me aware of it, I'll correct the mistakes.  
> First chapters will be used to establish a lot of my...canon? Yeah, I think that's it. So sorry for the maybe slow start.  
> This work is also a very entertaining exercise for me in order to learn how to write stories...and how to write them in the english language!

The door was closed. An iron bar was hooked on both sides of the entrance as an extra obstacle to prevent the door from being opened, in case some thief tried to pick the very old and fragile lock.

Not that it mattered much: there was nothing of value to steal, nor much money now that Buddy was left without a job. After their past encounter with their ex-boss, who had announced their dismissal, they and Filbo decided to use the rest of the day to “bring Buddy back from the dead” and recuperate their apartment. As evening approached, the two grumpuses tidied Buddy’s apartment and finally took a moment to relax. There were still files of rejected articles and some empty food containers of various sorts scattered around the place, but at least it was now livable.

And now there they were, finally in a place that could be called home, safe.

“Ahhh…a not-so-easy day behind us. Thanks again for letting me stay at your place, Buddy. It will take a little bit of time to readapt to the life in the big city…I just…I hope I’m not too much of a bother to you…”

“Don’t mention it, Filbo” Buddy offered a cup of tea to the blue grumpus and sat next to him “I’ll start looking up job offers tomorrow. For now…I’m just too tired…to even think about doing it…”

“Yeah…it was a busy day for sure. I mean, how often does one come back to life, right? Ahah…ah…”

The attempt at humor didn’t connect with the red grumpus, who was just watching a fixed point on the white wall in front of them. Filbo hesitated, before putting an arm around Buddy’s shoulders. Like an unconditioned reflex, the grumpus rested their head on the other’s shoulder before sighing and closing their eyes. This lasted just for a couple of seconds before Buddy jumped on their feet and apologized for the gesture.

“I…I’m sorry, Filbo. I’m just tired, I was almost passing out. I think I’m going to sleep now…on the couch, so if you could move to the bedroom that would be great”.

“Y-you sure, Buddy? I don’t mind…”

“Yeah, positive. See ya tomorrow!”

Filbo chose not to question his friend further, helping himself to the bedroom.

Two months. Two months have passed since the return from Snacktooth Island. Two weeks from Buddy being fired from their job. They and Filbo were looking up jobs on the newspaper, as they did every morning while having breakfast. Buddy’s savings were starting to run dry, so to help Filbo’s run for mayor (and, in general, being able to afford food and the apartment) they could use the money.

Buddy had visible black circles under their eyes: they didn’t have a full night sleep since the return from the bugsnax adventure, haunted by the thoughts of what they had to endure to survive (and to make everyone else survive as well). Only Elizabert and Eggabell’s fate remained unknown. Filbo noticed the fatigue seeping into his friend day by day, but didn’t say anything, choosing instead to help them as much as he could with actions. One of which was checking any sort of progress in Buddy’s behavior with foods. That morning, for the first time, they had steady hands while eating eggs and bacon without excessively checking the food for googly eyes. But still, for Filbo that wasn’t enough. He needed to know what was on his friend’s mind: the lack of sleep and other strange behaviors that the red grumpus was engaging in around the house were unhealthy. No time like the present, right? It was a moment as good as any other to talk to them.

“Here, Buddy, there is a job offer for Mc. Grumpald. It’s not much but at least in order to apply you just need to be capable of flipping bung…BURGERS!” Filbo shouted the last word in an attempt to correct himself. Buddy seemed to jump on their chair more because of the loud noise than because of the reference to a bugsnack. “Ahah…sorry” Filbo scratched the back of his head “I just…saw an ad for a place at the local bookstore! You know how much I enjoy…books…a-and reading them…Listen, Buddy, we need to talk”.

“What’s up, Filbo?”

“I…am worried about you. I hear you watching random stuff on tv at night, drinking liquor…I usually find empty bottles on the floor and clean them up while you’re still asleep. You…you need help…”

“What? Nooo, come on Filbo! You don’t need to worry about me! No one else worries about me…I mean, I can take care of myself!”. 

As to reinforce their statement, Buddy finished the coffee and started cleaning the dishes at the sink, even though there was a fully functional dishwasher right next to them. Filbo watched them hastily scrub plates and forks, before suddenly stopping, hands on the counter, shaking.

“I’m…I’m ok…really…it’s just…hard to go back to a normal life, that’s all”.

“I don’t blame you, but I just want you to know that you don’t have to do this all alone. You helped all of us back there, let me…let US help you!”.

Over time Buddy and Filbo remained in contact with the other grumpuses that shared their adventure, but they never met in person again after the return. Everyone needed time to let the bugsnax’s transformation wear off, even more time to continue their lives where they left off. Wambus and Triffany got back to their home in the countryside, near the city; Chandlo and Snorpy got an apartment together in New Grump City (where Filbo and Buddy also lived) in the proximity of the local university; Granble transferred into Wiggle’s mansion and so forth. They still needed to get up to date with the others, but at least they knew for certain there were no signs of bugsnax on them anymore.

And Buddy? Remembering how everyone was getting their lives back together made them feel even worse: they'd done nothing of worth since the island…they lost their job…and Filbo’s run for mayor was still early in development.  
“I’m sorry, Filbo, I’m a failure”.

“Don’t say that!” Filbo got up, conviction behind his words “You helped us! You saved us!”.

“I FED YOU PARASITES!” Buddy couldn’t take it anymore, the frustration and doubt from the past weeks had built up inside of them and now erupted in pure rage. They turned around to face Filbo and threw the plate they were holding on the floor, shattering it into a thousand pieces. Since Filbo didn’t even flinch, Buddy continued “Going to the island…I thought I had a great story in my paws, that I would’ve written a great article! When I got there, I thought I was helping others for once in my life! Turns out, I almost killed you all! I was like a drug dealer to your addiction!”.

“You couldn’t have known…” Filbo started to reply, but Buddy wasn’t going to let him continue that thought.

“I NEVER KNOW ANYTHING! THAT’S THE PROBLEM! I fail at everything. I only endanger others with my actions. That’s why everyone I knew left me way before I even came to the island!””.

Buddy couldn’t control the tears any longer, so they let them flow freely onto their knees, paws on their eyes in a feeble attempt to cover up their face. Filbo wrapped them in a hug, remaining silent. Buddy returned the gesture. For years now they had developed a distaste for the use of physical contact to show affection, but the only thing they could think of right now was how much they missed receiving it.. Plus, they just couldn’t handle anything anymore, their mind not thinking clearly. They were confused, they were scared, they didn’t know that to do…and they were only now fully realizing it.

“Don’t leave me Filbo…not you too please…”.

“Where should I go, Buddy? I live here! Ahahah!”.

Nowhere, Buddy thought, but maybe Filbo wanted to be there only because he needed help for the campaign to become mayor. Then, after that was done, what would happen? Probably Filbo would abandoned them, as everyone else did. No one needed Buddy, not really, not forever…

Buddy shook their head violently. They would not allow doubts and ill thoughts to fog their mind again. Filbo was different, Buddy wanted to believe that as much as they could.

“Just…just don’t leave me alone, at least for now, ok?” Buddy looked at the other grumpus in the eyes.

Filbo nodded with a smile. He could not have imagined how much Buddy was suffering in the past weeks, but now he knew, and he would do everything in his power to help them. This was only the beginning of a whole new journey.


	2. The Reunion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Filbo and Buddy organize a party in order to catch up with the oders.  
> Seems like for some the aftermath of their adventure was easier than for others.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just learned how to add a chapter to my story...sorry for publishing it as a separate work before. I will adjust the first chapter accordingly.
> 
> Every criticism is welcomed, just be polite in the comments, please. If I made grammatical errors feel free to make me aware of it, I'll correct the mistakes.
> 
> This work is also a very entertaining exercise for me in order to learn how to write stories...and how to write them in the english language!
> 
> I'm still figuring out the story, for know I just enjoy exploring all the different interactions with all these characters.

A week had passed since the mental breakdown. Buddy was feeling better about themselves. They finished putting down the last nameplate on the table, while Filbo was still busy at the stove, preparing appetizers and other dishes for the buffet. They were waiting for their friends to arrive, having organized a reunion party to meet up with everyone. It was going to be a very informal event, just an occasion to chat and eat something together. Sheida was too busy with her “spiritual journey” for her soon-to-be-written book and Cromdo had way too many customers and way too little staff at his new karaoke pub, so they would not attend. As for the rest of the grumpuses they all accepted the invitation happily, eager to catch up with one another and even providing some home-made dishes to add to the dinner.

“Remember to breath, Buddy, and if you feel the anxiety rising just excuse yourself and go lay on the bed for a while. I’m sure they would understand if that happened, especially Snorpy”.

“Oh yeah, Chandlo mentioned his social anxiety back at the island” Buddy smiled “but I would prefer avoiding make everyone worried. This is a joyful occasion after all!”.

Filbo was happy to note with himself that Buddy made so much progress in the past days: he was no psychiatrist, but mentioning something that happened on the island without mood swing or panic attacks had to count for something, right? He and Buddy talked a lot about the red grumpus’ situation, deciding to organize that party to distract themselves. Filbo managed to balance finding a job at a local general store and helping his friend, and Buddy was really grateful about it. The light blue grumpus was still the old dufus they encountered starving in the middle of nowhere on that island, but now he grew into a fundamental part of their life. They just wondered how this would’ve evolved into.  
The guests arrived in the following hour: Wambus and Triffany brought home made and home harvested ketchup pies. Beffica opted for some low calory tofu appetizer. Apparently, they were the newest sensation on Instagrump and she rambled on about how making those occupied so much of her already very busy schedule. Gamble and Wiggle brought a vegetarian friendly variation of lasagna (to be more precise, Gamble made the dish, while Wiggle announced how her mere presence was the best gift she could bring on that occasion). Neither Chandlo nor Snorpy were so fond on cooking, so Snorpy offered a free check for any electronic tick, bug, camera or microphone that could potentially be hidden in the guests’ fur with some sort of portable metal detector.

“I suppose you have kept every crevice of this apartment constantly monitored and checked for any hidden camera and/or microphone, correct?” asked the yellow grumpus, to which Filbo and Buddy replied with a nervous smile.

Floofty provided mostly alcohol and other beverages, some of which have been confiscated still unopened from their students, commenting on how the lesser minds loved to entertain themselves with substances that affected their intelligence. Buddy was ecstatic to see most of their friend again and, even though they didn’t have their trusty recorder, while everyone was eating at the table, they wasted no time and “interviewed” everyone in order to learn what they have been up to. Snorpy, Chandlo and Beffica were continuing their university courses (having Floofty as one of their teachers) and Chandlo managed to join the local rugby team. Wiggle was organizing her next big tour around the state and Gramble would join her as her new manager, selling gadgets and his own made shirts.

“I work at the farm…’s always…” Wambus helped himself with some lasagna, even complimenting Gramble on how the dish turned out “and mah wife here got a job at the museum in the big city. Real pain taking her everyday back and forth from the farm, ‘cause we only have one car and I need it most of the time”.

“Must be annoying” replied Buddy, tasting the ketchup pie. How the couple managed to make a good pie out of condiment for hamburgers went beyond their understanding of life and the universe itself.

“A husband’s gotta do what a husband’s gotta do for his wife, right?”.

“He’s so sweet, he started to save up money to buy me a brand-new car, just for my job” Triffany added, making the blue grump scoff, a smile on his face. “And what do you and Filbo have decided for your future? Will ya move in together like Snorpy and Chandlo?”.

In response, Filbo coughed out almost half a glass of water and Buddy chocked on the pie, having to empty their glass in order to resume breathing.

“I-It’s only a temporary solution!” the light-blue grumpus’s cheeks were starting to match Buddy’s bright red coloration “I…We’re not…”

“Of course, of course, sorry dears I did not mean it like that”. Triffany’s smile, however, suggested otherwise. She nudged her husband, making him chuckle under his breath as a sign of complicity.

The evening went on with a dancing videogame, brought by Wiggle, with all her new songs downloaded in for testing purposes. Snorpy revealed himself to be not only a secretly passioned fan of her albums, but also a capable dancer, mimicking the movements on the television to perfection, racking up points along the way. Spotting a potential challenge, Chandlo joined in on the fun, followed by the rest of the gang in an attempt to defeat the yellow grumpus. Wambus took some convincing, but there is nothing that some beers can’t managed to accomplish. It all soon developed in some sort of a dancing tournament, in which Snorpy defeated all opponents, including Wiggle herself! The most entertaining of the matches, however, had to be the one where a drunken Chandlo was defeated, by just a few points, by a very clumsy Filbo, making everyone laugh. Afterwards, Beffica managed to make Filbo and Buddy take part in a team match against Wambus and Triffany, resulting in four grumpuses falling on the floor on top of each other, to the amusement of the others. Tired by all the dancing and in order to alleviate the alcohol’s effects, the grumpuses sat down and started to talk about their adventure on Snacktooth Island.  
Turned out that Buddy was not the only one that remained somewhat scarred from the experience: everyone had sporadic nightmares recently, the red grumpus seemed to just be the most affected. Floofty speculated that this was because they were the only one who didn’t assimilate the parasites at any point. The other’s memories were somewhat affected and modified, since they lived the experience with the bugsnax in their body controlling their actions and desires. Filbo was sitting right next to Buddy and, when they seemed to start being uncomfortable by the retelling of the events, he grabbed his friend’s paw behind their backs. Maybe it was the alcohol, but Buddy didn’t mind the gesture at all. The red grumpus even managed to share the episode that happened in the kitchen a week prior. Everyone seemed to get worried at the news.

“Jeez, bro, that sucks. But as always, there is nothing that a mighty hug from yours truly, Chandlo, can’t fix. Come here dawg!”.

Before Buddy knew it, they were two feet above the ground, surrounded by Chandlo’s arms in a strong embrace. Snorpy joined in on the gesture (partly in order to avoid Buddy’s back bones to be snapped by the green grumpus’ strenght). Beffica took advantage of the distraction and walked over to Filbo.

“Sooooo…I know I promised not to snoop around anymore buuuut…is there something up with you and Buddy? I saw you blushing a lot earlier”.

The purple grump half expected Filbo to tell her to mind her business, a reaction to which she was used to while investigating. Instead, Filbo sighted and fixed his eyes on the glass he was holding.

“That’s a good question…even I don’t know exactly…we got a lot closer after returning from the island. We are definitely not a thing yet…but I’m starting to like that hypothetical scenario more and more every day, you know? I just need a little more time to think about it”.

The light blue grumpus smiled to Beffica. Did it really take some liquid courage to admit this to himself? Or even to realize it in the first place?

“That’s some spicy news, dweeb! I promise I won’t tell a soul. Keep me updated, will ya?”.

Filbo nodded, while Buddy finally managed to get free from Chandlo’s embrace.

“Thank you Chandlo, Snorpy, thank you all for this party” the voice of Buddy betrayed the amount of alcohol they drank and the sobs that were building up in their throat. “Going on with my life has been…hard, admittedly…but with you all on my side I feel like I can do anything!”

Everyone toasted to that, while Buddy managed to miraculously hit the chair after tripping over themselves and falling backwards blindly.

“Darling, you look mighty tired, maybe it’s time for us to leave you two alone. What do you think, Gramble? Thanks for the evening, darlings, it has been really fun!”

Wiggle wrapped the little grumpus with her arm and moved towards the exit, waving goodbye. Since it was getting pretty late, everyone else followed suit shortly after, thanking Filbo and Buddy for the hospitality.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“That went better than expected” Filbo fought the alcohol in his body in order to begin cleaning the house. They both could’ve tidy up everything it in the morning, but he just didn’t like being surrounded by that mess “I mean, Gramble and Wambus managed to avoid starting an argument during the whole evening! That must be a first!”.

“Ahah, yeah” Buddy managed to get up from the chair and take two steps, before their legs gave up again. Fortunately, Filbo managed to grab them by their armpits just in time before they hit the ground.

“Buddy? Are you feeling ok?”.

“Yeah…seems like I’m…falling for you, eheheh…” the red grumpus recomposed themselves and laughed loudly at their own joke, before noticing Filbo’s face starting to change color. Well, to be fair, it was already red for the alcohol, but now it was nearing a lava lamp in brightness. “You ok? Seems like I’m not the only one who exaggerated with the celebrations”.

“Well, at least I can stand upright!” responded Filbo, making both of them chuckle “I’m gonna go clean the bathroom now, you start putting the trash into those bags, will ya? And don’t forget about recycling! I want to be mayor in a clean city!”.

As soon as Buddy turned around, Filbo rushed in the bathroom and locked himself in. he immediately went in front of the mirror mounted on the sink, noticing for the first time the color of his own face and the warmth in his cheeks. Why was he reacting so much to a joke? Maybe Buddy was right, maybe he drank a little bit too much. But he was feeling fine, maybe a little dizzy but apart from that…he didn’t even drink that much! His head was just a whirlpool of confusion, more so because of his own thoughts than the alcohol itself.

“Come on, Fiddlepie, compose yourself. You’re not making any sense and the alcohol is making both of you talk in its stead. They didn’t mean it really and you know it. Just clean up the house and worry about anything tomorrow”.

Filbo finished cleaning up the bathroom before helping Buddy to gather most of the trash left over by the party. Since it was already nearing three o’clock, they managed to remove the stuff on the table before giving up and collapsing both on the sofa, fast asleep.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Going by the sun, it was almost noon when Filbo finally woke up. Luckily, it was a Sunday, so he didn’t have to worry about work. He was feeling a big headache beginning to rise and another, stranger feeling, like his body was blocked by some sort of unknown weight. Adjusting his eyes to the light filtering through the window, he had to call upon all his control in order to avoid screaming or jumping: Buddy laid on him, arms around his neck, face buried in his chest. Filbo’s first instinct was thinking about how to best set himself free without waking them, but it seemed like an impossible task. Then again, he didn’t feel in such a hurry to change the whole situation. Buddy’s warmth was so nice, especially in a cold, autumn morning, and they looked so peaceful sleeping like that. Filbo didn’t see them so relaxed, even while sleeping, in a long time. So instead he wrapped Buddy in his arms an went back to sleep, not thinking much of the whole situation, apart that it felt somehow right.

“I’m gonna think about it when we both wake up…” whispered Filbo under his breath, falling asleep again.

Buddy opened one eye to watch the light blue grumpus and his arms around them, smiling.

“This sure is an interesting development…” thought, before joining Filbo in the nap.


	3. Discoveries

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The gang were not the only ones to survive the island.  
> Snorpy's paranoia might be more grounded than previously thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh hey, look! A plot! Kinda!  
> I'm putting out chapters very fast just because I have a little bit of free time, that might change very soon however.  
> So don't get confortable with 3 chapters in like 3 days ahah.

“…and after that, I woke up around half past noon. Buddy was already awake and cooking something for lunch. That’s the whole story”.

Beffica was hanging on every word that Filbo was sharing with her. Phone in one paw, pen in the other, she noted everything in her secret diary with a big smile on her face. Her skills, that managed to get her into a lot of trouble in the past, turned out to count for a lot of experience in a variety of social situation. There was almost nothing that she had never heard of before, so she could give advices accordingly. Almost.

“My dear Filbo, your doofiness managed to put yourself in a situation that I don’t have anything in my archives of. And my archives are the best there are, understood?”.

Filbo pinched his nose, eyes closed, leaning on the balcony. Not even Beffica seemed to be capable of helping him. Buddy was out for groceries and Filbo hadn’t have the courage to mention anything that happened the night prior. The red grumpus must’ve noticed where they’ve slept, for sure (specifically, on the light blue grumpus) but they didn’t seem to be interested in bringing up the topic. Since the last thing Filbo wanted was to give them even more stuff to worry about, he decided to indulge them. But he couldn’t stop thinking about the whole situation for himself.

“Just talk to them, dweeb!” Beffica’s voice ringed in his ear, taking him back to reality “and don’t blow it up, Fiddlepie. I’m gonna kill you if you ruin one of my favorite ships!”.

Filbo wondered once again why Beffica talked about naval transportation in that kind of discussion, before hearing a knock at the door.

“That must be Buddy, who probably forgot their keys…again. Gotta go, Beff, see ya!”.

“Go get them, tiger!”.

Filbo hang up the phone and walked over to the door. He managed to unlock it and open it, before dropping both his phone and his jaw.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Uff…thanks for being unreachable on the phone, Filbo” Buddy stopped at the top of the stairs, catching their breath. So much for not having an elevator in that building. Another floor and they would’ve arrived at their destination. They grabbed all four bags of groceries at once (since making two journeys was for the weak, according to them) and, with a grunt, lifted them up “I’m gonna ask Chandlo to train me later, could use some exercise”.

Buddy dropped the bags on the doormat, reaching for the keys…before noticing that not only the door was unlocked.

It was partially open.

Buddy immediately hid against the wall, trying to peek inside from the door’s slit. What now? Filbo was too attentive to details to forget the door open. They could’ve called the police, but the echo of the stairs would’ve alerted whoever was inside. Running in search for help was no option either: Filbo could be in great danger at that very moment. So, the only viable option Buddy managed to come up with was grabbing the frozen food’s bag to use as a weapon and rushing in with a battlecry, which they did.  
The next thing they knew was that they have been knocked down on the floor, a sharp pain in their right hand, the bag removed from their grasp by the flick of a…whip?

“Stop, stop! It’s the journalist!” an unidentified voice shouted from inside the apartment.

“Oh my grump, sorry! You scared me!” a different voice, coming from in front of Buddy “Who enters their own home screaming like a maniac? You scared the grump out of me!”.

Buddy took a few second to calm down from the adrenaline rush, adjusting their sight…and dropping their jaw. In front of them stood none other than Elizabert Megafig and Eggabell Batternugget. The two were full transformed back into regular grumpuses, with no trace of Bugsnax’s infection on them.

“Elizabert? Eggabell? What are you two doing here??” Buddy was more curious than surprised.

“Shh, keep it down, will ya?” Eggabell retrieved the bags from outside the doored and locked it. Immediately afterward, without even asking for permission, she started to check Buddy’s hand for any wound or bruise “You forgot the door, Liz”.

“Oh, ahah, sorry! My bad”. Elizabert helped Buddy to get up, while Filbo came back from the kitchen with some coffee.

“Oh, Buddy! You’re back! I forgot to warn you…actually, Liz and Egg made me turn off my phone. I could not reach you!”.

Elizabert made all the grumpuses sit down and started to explain her and Egg’s story. In the aftermath of the Snackpocalypse she and Eggabell retreated in the undersnax, in an attempt to escape the erupting volcano. While making their way in the underground they stumbled upon a metal tunnel, which was previously hidden, resurfaced between the undersnack’s walls thanks to the earthquakes. With no other option, they took the mysterious tunnel and followed it for hours. Fortunately, it was large enough to let their monstrous body through. At the other end, after breaking down a steeled door, they ended up in a strange building, which seemed to have been abandoned recently. While waiting and hoping their transformation would wear off, they explored the facility (at least, the places they could reach with their huge body) and made interesting…and terrifying…discoveries.

“The Grumpinati”. Buddy was used to dismiss Snorpy’s theories as mere conspiracies, but that word, coming from Elizabert’s mouth, made them uneasy. “I couldn’t believe it either. But the proof was there! Well, at least we think. We managed to find some papers, parts of secret documents that were left behind, scattered around the floors, maybe in the hurry of escaping the facility after the island destroyed itself”.

“We waited for a few weeks and, slowly but surely, we noticed that we were reverting back to normal” continued the doctor “The building is collocated in the mountain range near this city, so we had to hunt the local fauna and flora in order to survive. Let me tell you, after all that happened even wild animals tasted better than bugsnax”. Eggabell grabbed Elizabert’s paw and kissed her on the cheek “I finally could hug her again and smooch her and…”.

“Not now, Egg” Liz blushed, before clearing her throat and continuing with the explanation “We didn’t know who to trust, or how to find you. Luckily, while descending the forest, we stumbled upon Wambus’ farm. It happened this very morning: we noticed him working in the fields. You should’ve seen the look on his face! The guy must’ve thought the pesticide was giving him hallucinations!”.

After that, the two girls had asked Wambus and Triffany how to reach the city and, more specifically, Buddy. They traveled via bus, trying to keep a low profile (which was not so hard, with all the old grumpuses’ couple from outside the city going to church on a Sunday morning). The rest of the story Filbo and Buddy knew already.

“And that’s pretty much it” Eggabell finished applying some bruise cream on Buddy’s paw “Sorry for scaring you two, but we have reasons to think the Grumpinati…or whoever is behind this…wants to take the journalist as a target”.

“A TARGET? But me and Buddy told their ex-boss a false story! No one should know that we discovered something on the island!”. Filbo began to breath rapidly, shaking with fear.

“That’s the point” Elizabert stood up “In the facility we found Clumby Clumbernut’s sign of approval on some documents, meaning that the newspaper Buddy was working for might be involved, or at least that their ex-boss knows something about it. And if our thesis is correct, they would want to eliminate every risk of someone spreading the truth”.

It sure was a lot to take in all at once [( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) I’m sorry, I have the sense of humor of a child]. Buddy had so many questions popping up in their mind. Their journalistic skills, though, helped them to select the most important ones to ask first.

“So, what happens now?”.

“First we need to get in contact with Snorpy. All his charts might turn out to be useful after all. Then me and Eggabell need a place to stay off the radars for a while, until we can fabricate a false story in order to justify our sudden return to civilization, after all the grumpuses that went on our same expedition already began a new life here. We need to investigate, to know what we are dealing with. I mean, a tunnel connected to the Bugsnax’s island? Secret documents? The GNN being involved? Sure smell fishy”.

“I think Wambus’ farm is the most suited place to hide. It’s far from the city and not many grumpuses live there. We should’ve stayed there, Liz! And let Buddy and Filbo come to us”.

“Egg, making Filbo and the journalist come to us was more dangerous than what we ended up doing. Without the right precautions they could’ve been followed. We needed to warn them about the risks…”.

“And coming into the city, in the shark’s jaws, was less dangerous?? We are in danger, Liz! I…I can’t lose you again…”.

“We are more capable of…”.

“ENOUGH!”.

The two girls fell silent and turned over to face Buddy, who’s nostrils were almost fuming, their blood boiling, turning their natural color brighter and brighter.

“Can you PLEASE acknowledge the fact that we are here? This is our home and you busted in talking about Grumpinati and how we are all in danger now! For grump’s sake we thought you were dead!”.

“Don’t you yell at my Liz, reporter!” Eggabell stood up, stepping between Buddy and her girlfriend “We saved your butts back at the island!”.

“And I saved everyone by making them all return to Snackburg, after you two abandoned the camp!”.

“Oh, good job! When I came to Snackburg almost everyone had their whole body turned into snacks, and thanks to whom??”.

Buddy was about to retort, when a pang of pain struck in their head, making them dizzy. They grabbed their own ears in an attempt to make the pain stop, with no success. Filbo pushed both Liz and Egg aside, rushing to help his roommate. The last thing Buddy saw was a very sorry Eggabell and Filbo by their side, before passing out. 

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Have they ever reacted this way before?”.

“No…I-I mean…They were not comfortable talking about what happened to the island…b-but they’ve never…”.

“I’m so, so sorry! It’s all my fault. I always endanger others…”.

“Please, Egg, stay with me. We need you focused now”.

“Y-you’re right, Liz, I’ll try to calm down…”.

“You should’ve come to me immediately, Megafig! I’ve developed anti-Grumpinati measures in an island with little to no resources, imagine what I’ve been up to once returned in the city!”.

Buddy slowly opened their eyes, a massive headache ringing in their head. So this Is what Dante Grumplieri must’ve felt visiting Hell in that old book: a little faint and, immediately after, a change in their surroundings. Before they even knew what was going on, Filbo launched onto them, wrapping them in a tight hug.

“Filbo, move over!” Eggabell started to check Buddy’s pulse. “How are you feeling?”.

Elizabert made a sight of relief. She loved how her girlfriend could go from worried to a field medic stance in an instant, putting her duties before anything else. Buddy looked around. They were in their apartment no more: this one was bigger, filled with boards on which papers had been clipped with pins and charts tried to depict a coherent picture. The walls were filled with posters depicting many sports, especially basket, and training equipment was laying on the floor.

“Welcome back, old champ!” Snorpy’s nasal voice ringed like a church’s bell inside Buddy’s ears “and welcome to our humble household! I would ask you to get well soon! This will allow me to reclaim my sofa, on which you are currently laid on. I would also ask, as payment for your sudden intrusion, to let me install an EMP device inside your brain. Shouldn’t take too long”.

“Snorpy, that is not happening!” the doctor snapped.

“I can be your test subject, dawg!”.

“No Chandlo, thanks for the offer…but I actually care about the preservation of your neural functions”.

“Whatever you say, Snorp-dawg”.

Buddy managed to sit down and regain somewhat of a sense of where they were. How did they get in Snorpy and Chandlo’s apartment, on the other hand, remained a mystery. Elizabert explained that, after they passed out, she and the others decided to call Chandlo in order to leave the apartment, since the green grumpus was the only one strong enough to carry Buddy’s unconscious body easily (and in a gym bag with only one arm). That apartment was also a lot bigger than Buddy’s, paid thanks to Chandlo’s multiple sports scholarships, so they could easily stay all there for a while.

“I knew the Grumpinati were behind it all!” Snorpy was both ecstatic and terrified at the idea. For him, it was a dream and a nightmare coming true at the same time. It was all that he was preparing for all his life “Our home should be Grumpinati-free for you all to stay, at least for a while. But we need to act quickly!”.

“Do you have a suggestion?” Elizabert asked.

“As a matter of fact, Megafig, yes. We need to explore that facility. Furthermore, we need to catch and interrogate that Clumby Clumbertnut gall you mentioned possibly being involved in the matter”.

Filbo’s attention was all on Buddy, who still had a terrible expression, like they could pass out again at any moment. Those discussion certainly were not helping. He sat next to his friend, looking over everyone else.

“What if we are not in such a danger as of yet?” the light blue grumpus words escaped his mouth almost involuntarily.

“Are you MAD, Fiddlepie? You don’t know…” Snorpy started, but Filbo silenced him with a single glare.

“What I DO know is that Buddy almost had a heart attack back there and the only thing that kept me from rushing over to a hospital is that Eggabell advised otherwise. I would put my own life in her paws”.

Eggabell brushed away a tear forming on her eye, fighting the need to make the other grumpus notice that Buddy didn’t have anything wrong with their heart. Filbo continued “If the Grumpinati intended for us to be dead, we would already be so, don’t you think? They are probably aware that we all survived, maybe minus Liz and Egg. Snorpy, keep the situation monitored between here, the GNN and even your university. Liz, organize an expedition to the facility with Chandlo in a few days. If you two get into trouble, at least you can fight your way out. Me, Egg and Buddy will stay here until we know more about the situation”.

Everyone froze. No one, NO ONE, had ever even considered ordering Elizabert Megafig around. Everyone turned to the walrus-looking grumpus in search of a reaction, maybe anger, or even frustration, or just to hear her come up with a better plan. Liz smiled warmly at Filbo, before rubbing her paws together”.

“So, when do we begin?”.


	4. Finally alive

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone tries to start their new life.  
> Some seem to return from the land of the dead.  
> Others seem to plot something in the dark.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IMPORTANT:  
> this story is over, but this story was kinda of a prologue to what I want to write about.  
> I noticed that i was explaining too much stuff all at once, since I needed to elaborate on a lot of characters, locations, relationships and so on and so forth.  
> So I explained everything I wanted, this will be the final chapter of THIS work. Now the scene is set for the play.  
> And I will immediately start working on the next story, with a slower pace, a smaller scale...and a lot of mysteries to unfold.

Filbo didn’t manage to properly rest that night. In fact, he barely slept at all. It was bad enough hearing all these weird talks about Grumpinati and whatnot, but the real kicker was realizing that he’d have to share the sofa-bed with Buddy, since Liz and Egg occupied the guest’s room. Moreover, Buddy moved in their sleep, nudging him from time to time. When Filbo finally made up his mind about sleeping on the armchair, Buddy seized him in their arms, still fast asleep, and blocked him on the spot.

“Could’ve woken me up, Filbo” the red grumpus took a bite out of a chocolate donut. Snorpy and Chandlo had already gone to class by that time, Liz and Egg still in the other room, resting.

“You needed a good night sleep. I couldn’t bring myself to bother you. Besides, I spent the time thinking about stuff”.

“What stuff?”.

Filbo had passed the rest of the night meditating on whether to tell Buddy how he really felt towards them. He ultimately resolved on not telling them anything, for the time being. Cursing his own cowardness, he sipped some coffee.

“This whole Grumpinati thing…you know?”.

Buddy didn’t seem to buy it completely. Fortunately, it was time for Filbo to go to work, so he wouldn’t have to be ‘interviewed’ any further than that. He waved them goodbye and went out quickly, almost running. After twenty minutes or so the two girls joined breakfast. Elizabert didn’t even finish to prepare her coffee before starting to make the gears in her mind grind.

“Ok, so…Filbo continues to go to work, so he doesn’t raise any suspicion. I mean, who would stay at home after just two days of a new job? Snorpy and Chandlo have classes to attend to…and me and Eggabell need to stay hidden from the rest of the world for who the grump knows how long. I mean, it’s not like we can reappear out of nowhere!”.

Buddy was still glancing at the door from time to time, thinking about Filbo, but something in what Elizabert said made their eyes shine.

“Or maybe that’s the plan. Think about it: if our movements on the island were being monitored at all time, no one from the gang would’ve made it out alive and/or not imprisoned by now. Whoever is behind this would’ve already known that we encountered bugsnax there. The tunnel was blocked, so chances are no one knew about it. Maybe it was an old tunnel, abandoned for a long time. Me and Filbo didn’t specify yours and Eggabell’s fate to anyone: our story kept it vague, so there is still a chance that you survived the endeavor”.

“More than a chance, I must say” Eggabell grinned.

Lizbert had some doubts “But how can we justify not only our survival, but the weeks that have passed since the incident?”.

Buddy was once again in their natural habitat: taking information from all around and then fabricating a likely and likable story out of it “You were…you were out fishing, in a boat! The volcano erupts, the earthquake generates waves that lead you away from the land…and then you take all this time not only to survive the ocean, but also to come back to the city! That would make for a phenomenal article!”. 

Elizabert laughed loudly at that scenario “Oh my grump, that sounds more awesome than most of my real adventures! And since we were obviously disguised when we took the bus yesterday, no one recognized us. It’s brilliant! If this works, you deserve a kiss on the cheek”.

“Hey!” Eggabell turned to Buddy, the word ‘murder’ spelled in her pupils.

“It’s a figure of speech, Egg, geez! Jealous much?”.

That idea was so farfetched that it might just have worked out fine. They spent the rest of the morning constructing an interview and disguising the girls as two very tired and full of dirt adventurers, who just managed to come back to civilization after a long time. Then, Liz and Egg went straight to New Grump City’s University, as not only had they graduated there, but also had collaborated with the school on more than one project. They were thought dead, so it was normal for them to approach someone who would’ve recognized them immediately. Buddy followed from a distance, dressed up as a reporter in search of the last scoop (in a way, it wasn’t even a disguise). During lunch time, when all the students walked around in the gardens inside the campus, they all made their apparition.   
Beffica and Floofty couldn’t believe their eyes and went straight to them, jumping on the two girls with tears in their eyes. Snorpy and Chandlo had a similar reaction, even if they had to fake it (Snorpy was absolutely livid by the fact that they enacted such a risky move without consulting him). A lot of other students knew Lizbert from her documentaries and adventures, so they approached them to ask questions and to offer foods and drinks to such famished grumpuses. Once the principal came out to check on what all that noise was about, she immediately recognized the explorer and wanted to know what happened to her, offering to get both of them cleaned, rested and fed as soon as possible.  
Before that could happen, however, Buddy jumped in to interview Elizabert (who, of course, gave them priority over everything else) and brought the recorded and transcribed interview immediately to NGJ (New Grump Journal, main rival of GNN). Suffice to say, they now had a new job, since Elizabert was a beloved icon of the city and her return was bound to raise a fuss. Since that day’s papers were already out, the newspaper posted the article on their site, immediately scoring a whole bunch of likes and sharing.

“All according to plan. They don’t call you ‘the journalist’ for nothing!” 

Eggabell, now properly dressed, cleaned and made up, could hardly believe that she was outside, at the university’s cafeteria, enjoying an ice cream with her beloved one under so many curious eyes. She kept an arm around her girlfriend’s waist, throwing hateful glares on whoever dared to approach Lizbert for even an autograph.

“Years of experience in the business, my dear. So, Liz, about that kiss…”.

Eggabell playfully faked a slap on Buddy’s face, making both them and Elizabert burst into a laughter.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Are you out of your grumping minds?? Do you have ANY idea how dangerous that was to pull off??”. 

The only thing that seemed to stop Snorpy from bushing Buddy’s skull in was Chandlo’s strength holding him.

“Hey, it worked right?” Buddy retorted, which actually made Snorpy angrier, if that was even possible.

“First you say that you’ll keep a ‘low profile’, then that you’ll move to the countryside to avoid being tracked by the Grumpinati…and then THIS! The grump-damn journalist even wrote an ARTICLE about it you were so proud of yourselves! Next time just build a neon-sign hat that states ‘here is Lizbert, please put a bullet in between my eyes!”.

Elizabert was gasping for air from how much she was laughing, covering her face with her paws to not being noticed by Snorpy. She’d never seen him losing it so much that he changed his ordinary speech pattern with a more common one. Eggabell and Filbo didn’t share her amusement, but still thought that what happened that day had been the right thing to do.   
Buddy crumbled what was left of his sandwich and threw it on the floor, making all the pigeons nearby rush in to eat.

“We are in a public park, Snorpy, and I’m not the one making a scene here. Who’s keeping a lower profile between you and I?”.

Snorpy noticed the grumpuses that were glancing at him from a distance, his anger soon changed into embarrassment. He cleared his throat, blushing.

“Ahem, yes, I suppose that if Megafig and Dr Batternugget are ok with it…it was a sufficiently good plan”.

“That’s my Snorpy” Chandlo put him back on the ground before kissing him on the back of the head. Whatever rage was still left in Snorpy melted away, turning his frown into a sheepish smile.

“Plus” Filbo put his paw on Buddy’s shoulder “Going public makes them a harder target if you think about it. Now everyone in the city knows that Egg and Liz are alive, so if they vanished again it would be quite suspicious”.

“Quite suspicious indeed”.

Everyone turned around to face the voice’s source. Everyone except Buddy, who froze on the spot, eyes opening wide. They didn’t need to see who spoke those words, that voice was far too familiar to them. All the hours spent being yelled at in that small office, all the rejected articles…

“Ms. Clumby Clumbernut, what a surprise finding you here!” 

Buddy’s voice betrayed their dread, while they turned around to face the newly arrived Grumpus. Buddy’s ex-boss turned her gaze from them to Liz.

“Elizabert Megafig, you took your sweet time coming back from your last adventure! Everyone thought you were deceased alongside your fiancé”.

“Reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated” she responded, trying her hardest to make a convincing smile.

“Indeed they were…” Clumby went back to observing Buddy, a smile slowly forming on her face “If it isn’t my favorite journalist! I know I treated you harshly in the past, but your newest article sparked my interest once again. I loved it! And I’m here to give you a job offer: you return to GNN and, as a sign of my regret for past mistakes, I double your paycheck. What say you?”.

Clumby extended her paw towards Buddy, ready to shake it. Straight to the point, as always, how Buddy despised her…What did she have to gain this time around? Why the sudden change of heart? And why asking right away, in front of everyone? They didn’t know, but something smelled fishy.  
No one else moved a muscle, waiting for the red grumpus’ response. Buddy took a few seconds to meditate on the proposal, before shrugging their shoulders.

“Sorry, not interested”.

Clumby’s smile quickly returned to the frown Buddy was so used to see on her. She scoffed without trying to convince them more than she already did, before turning around and walking away from the group.

“The offer still stands, think about it…carefully…”.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It sure was nice finally be back to normality. Elizabert couldn’t shake off, however, the feeling that they were not so out of the shark’s waters as they would’ve liked to believe. And if that was the case…  
Eggabell’s kiss almost med her jump on their seat. Liz and Egg had decided to take the evening for themselves, to have a nice and romantic dinner at the sushi restaurant. The next day everyone else would’ve reached them to Wambus and Triffany’s house, in order to throw a super party to honor their courage on the island, but for the time being the only thing she wanted was to spend time with Eggabell. Elizabert could hardly remember the last time they spent so much time together, alone, without being a giant food monster.

“Hey, look, this dragon roll almost looks like that giant sea bugsnack! You remember it, Liz?” asked Eggabell, holding the sushi between two chopsticks just in front of her face.

Elizabert could fell the nausea rising in her throat at the comparison. That piece of roll (made out of rice, tuna and avocado) looked an awful lot like what used to be her neck/lower body after the bugsnax had swarmed her. She gently but firmly moved her girlfriend’s arm away.

“Come on, Liz, relax! You now stress is not good for your health”.

“You’re right…as always” Lizbert rubbed the back of her neck, trying to make some bones pop.

“Don’t do that!”.

“Relaaaax, Eggabell!” she responded, accentuating the sarcasm in her voice. “But yeah, I should relax more. I’m so lucky to have you by my side, even after all that happened”.

They finished the dinner and went out for some ice-cream. Since the bartender was a huge fun of Liz’s documentaries on television, he gave them two cones free of charge (after Lizbert agreed to take a selfie, of course). They ended up back at the park they were in that same afternoon. Liz picked a daisy from the ground, one of the last that remained in that time of year, and put it in Eggabell’s fur, just above her ear. The doctor caressed her cheek and allowed the explorer to rest her head on the other’s paw. Elizabert closed her eyes, taking in that moment of peace.

“All will be well Liz, as long as we stay together”.

“I love you, Egg”.

“Love you too, Liz”.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Even after the public debut of Liz and Egg, Buddy and Filbo passed the next three days in Chandlo and Snorpy’s apartment, helping the two girls adjusting to an ordinary life in society. Well, as ordinary as the life of a famous explorer, thought dead, could be. Buddy was happy to be back at writing articles: they much preferred telling all those amazing stories found on newspapers than being a part of it. Even conspiracies and secret organizations sounded fun, when they were nothing more than few words written on a piece of paper or even on a web page.  
Filbo used that time to ask Chandlo advices about how to properly express his feeling towards Buddy. The gymnast initially quoted several inspirational speeches that he heard from an anime he and Snorpy have been watching recently. When those didn’t seem to strike a chord in the light blue grumpus, the green one advised him to have a chat with Snorpy, since he had a similar experience in the past.

“This exact scenario happened to me on the island, yes. I was terrified at the idea of expressing my true feeling to Chandlo”.

“What made you decide to finally confess to him?”.

“Probably the excitement of the party, being reunited with everyone after so long. Being stuck on an island does wonders with your insecurities, in the sense that it amplifies them tenfold. You don’t know how much time you’ve left before the Grumpinati come and get you, so you try to live in the moment. I just wish I lived even more that I managed back there”. Snorpy gazed into Filbo’s eyes. “The only thing that will unravel this situation is going for it, old chum. I told Chandlo my feeling and it turned out that, for him at least, we’ve been dating for years!”.

“That’s so cool! But I d-don’t think that Buddy has the same feelings for me”.

“Only one way to find out, right? And no time like the present to do it”.

Before Filbo could question him, Snorpy quickly walked over to Chandlo.

“Say, my dear, didn’t you propose a…nightly run in the park a few days ago? What say you and I go do that right know?”.

“Sounds awesome, dawg! But I thought you hated going out in general, especially at night”.

“Well, that may be but…I want to do something you proposed, bro”.

“Bro…”.

Without further questions, and after a quick change in clothing, the two grumpuses went outside, leaving a very nervous Filbo on the sofa. A freshly showered Buddy, already in their nightwear, came out of the bathroom.

“Where are those two going?”.

“Beats me…”. 

Filbo thought about what Snorpy said to him: the right circumstances, the two of them alone, Grumpinati on their heels…that sounded a lot like Snorpy’s situation, and it was happening to Filbo at that very moment. 

(Just go with your guts, Fiddlepie…) He thought, clearing his throat “B-Buddy, may I talk to you for a second?”.

“Sure” they sat right next to the light blue grumpus, who immediately felt a lump in his throat.

“S-so, y-you know how we’ve known each other for a while now…”.

Buddy barely kept their cool in front of their friend: typical of Filbo to start such a topic with the most cliché line imaginable. Plus, it didn’t take being a journalist to realize that something’s been off with their friend’s behavior in the past weeks. They had to summon all their self-control to not say a word. It was just too good of an occasion, and it was very important to Filbo.

“…and we g-got closer…both during the time on the island…” Filbo suddenly squeaked “Oh my grump, I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to mention…”.

Buddy’s paw reached Filbo’s, holding it firmly, a warm look in their eyes.

“It’s ok, you helped me get over it…go on…”.

The light blue grumpus became visibly redder and redder in his cheeks, taking several second before managing a meaningful sentence “….a-a-a-and even after we came back, y-you’ve been a center p-p-point for my life…and you’re so awesome, and cool…”.

Buddy chuckled “Yeeees? What are you trying to tell me?”.

“I…I-I...I LIKE YOU!” Filbo shouted these last words, all the past weeks’ insecurities being moved at the back of his mind, his emotions finally made manifest “but I mean LIKE LIKE you, you know? The same way Liz and Egg do, or Snorpy and Chandlo…and I didn’t know how to say this to you, since it’s something fairly new to me. I never felt like this before in my life, and I don’t know if you feel the same way towards me…and...and…”.

Filbo closed his eyes, too afraid to look, too terrified to see the reaction on Buddy’s face. Would that be an expression of disgust? Anger? Disappointment? Tears began to slowly trickle down his cheeks, waiting for a rejection that, for him at least, was bound to come. Why did he speak, why did he think that he was enough for such a fantastic person like Buddy? They were so much better than him, they…  
They took his face gently between their paws and got closer to him, kissing him on the lips. Filbo widened his eyes, amazed, before returning the gesture.  
They looked each other in the eyes. At that point, the grumpus’ tears were almost two rivers, the hiccups making him tremble.

“I too like-like you, dummy. You can stop crying now”.

“C-c-can’t promise that…”

“Sorry if it took me so long to acknowledge your feelings. I must admit, I was even more scared than you about this. But since you seemed to enjoy sleeping so close to me on the sofa back then…”.

“YOU WERE AWAKE?”.

Buddy rubbed the back of their head “Guilty as charged, eheh”.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Snorpy turned off his trusty smartwatch, the little image on the screen displaying the newly formed couple disappearing. He always knew those hidden cameras would turn out to be useful for something. The two could handle everything on their own for now, he was just happy that everything seemed to turn out just fine in the end.

“Snorpy, that was kinda uncool. Did you have to spy on them?”.

“Positive. They could’ve ended up doing something stupid. I actually was afraid Filbo would’ve ended up having a heart attack or something”.

“I reckon you just wanted to…snorp around!”.

The yellow grumpus chuckled at the wordplay. No way to trick Chandlo, exceptionally on such subject matter. The two returned to their run, Snorpy struggling to keep the other’s pace.   
A new life just starting for all of them.


End file.
